Island Dispatch, 2007-03-30

              ISLAND Dispatch Niagara Frontier Publications For Home Delivery of the Island Dispatch Call 773-7676 proud publishers of Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porler Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheath'eld Tribune www.wnypafiers.coin 773-7676 $1.00 Vol. 63 No. 2 March 30, 2007 20 Pages Inside this paper: Easter Section pages 10-11 Rotary Hears About Gateway page 3 Kelly's at Easter page 10 HSBC Wins Tourney page 15 Islander awarded Purple Heart from Iraq war by Michael J. Owen U.S. Navy Journalist (Ret.) "The explosion rendered me unconscious for a few seconds and blasted my gunner from the turret down into the back seat of the Humvee," said Sgt David S. Caputi who received a Purple Heart award last Sunday at the Masten Avenue Armory for wounds received in action in Bayji, Iraq, on May 8, 2005. "AU the windows cracked and even though still intact they were completely blackened from the tremendous heat and flames." Sgt. David S. Caputi of Grand Island is seen just after being wounded in action in Bayji, Iraq, on May 8, 2005 .He received a Purple Heart award last Sunday at the Masten Avenue Armory for wounds received Chamber to honor Control Techniques, Carolyn Lokken The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce has announced that Control Techniques will receive the Industry Award \ and Carolyn Lokken will be honored as Educator of the Year at the 41st annual Citizen of the Year Banquet This year's event will be held at the Holiday Inn Grand Island Resort and Conference Center on Wednesday, April 25, at 6 p.m. Channel 4 Meteorologist Mary Beth Wrobel will return as Master of Ceremonies. Control Techniques, a division of the Industrial Automation group of Emerson Electric, has maintained a presence on Grand Carolyn Lokken Christmann projects tax hike of less than 1% by Kathy Duff Grand Island School Superintendent Robert Christmann is currently projecting a tax rate increase of 0.8 percent for the 2007-08 school year. Christmann continues to emphasize that there are factors that could change the work he and his administrators have been doing on"the numbers." The unknowns include: • Gov. Eliot Spitzer's budget and the level of educational state aid; the equalization rate; the assessed value of Grand Island properties; and the actual tax rate, to be determined in August 2007. The public budget vote is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15, at the high school. State education law caps contingency budget increases to 3.84 percent for 2007-08. A contingency budget goes before the public for vote if the budget proposed by the district is voted down. Budget Forum is Monday The public is invited to participate in a budget forum at the Veronica Connor Middle School Little Theater on Monday, April 2, at 7 p.m. The board's adoption of the budget will take place after Town Hall easing passport woes Story and photo by Karen Keefe It used to be simple to cross the border to and from Canada. Point the car toward the bridge. A couple of miles, questions and coins later, you're on the other side. But new regulations may take effect Jan. 1, 2008, that would require a passport to be proffered each time you return across the border to the United States. As a result of this and other changes in travel guidelines, the demand for U.S. passports is way up - and so is the delay. Overseas travelers who used to wait five to six weeks for passports are now experiencing waits that are double that. Even expedited passports, which cost more, are taking up to a month. Doubtless, the delays have put a crimp in quite a few travel plans. Grand Island Town Clerk Patricia Frentzel wants residents to know that they can apply for passports right at Town Hall. If s a convenient service she says her office is happy to provide. "With a 10- to 12-week delay, we don't want them to wait," she said. "We can do everything here, including passport photos," she said. Frentzel and her staff of deputy clerks are all trained in the process. They can help first-timers and those who are just renewing passports. Hours by Appointment Town Hall joins the Grand Island Post Office in offering this service. "We're the only other passport agents on the Island*" Frentzel said. Applications are accepted from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. at Town Hall. In addition, "I have the flexibility of doing evenings and weekends," by appointment she explained. Last Saturday, she had an appointment Town Clerk Patricia Frentzel helps Grand Island resident Dana Brindisi apply for a passport on Tuesday at Town Hall. SEE CAPUTI, continued on page 2 SEE DISTRICT, continued on page 9 SEE LOKKEN, continued on page 9 SEE PASSPORT, continued on page 11 ipsa SBB—mnBHI fc^^* 1 Hfggjgjggg- Col! Joan for a ''SjpSIPl FREE No Obligation; i|____Ha Market Analysis ; Ion your home : joanrilugoßinskiticenturv2l.com' Kutzbaeh I 628-1719 IBkII i 773-2573 fjf|j| Q; Do you need to buy or sell a home? A* Call Linda Kutzbaeh, she knows how and would love to help you! Each office Independently  ownsd 8 operated NOftn